William Hunter on the anatomy of human pregnancy, 1774. This page shows the uterus at full term, opened from the front, showing detachment of the placenta (abruptio placentae) which resulted in a fatal haemorrhage. This illustration is from 'Anatomia uteri humani gravidi' (The anatomy of the human gravid uterus) by Scottish anatomist William Hunter (1718-1783). Hunter was the leading obstetrician of the time, and this was his most famous publication. His approach to anatomical illustration was modelled on that used by Leonardo da Vinci.